Marijuana

Do you remember the period of alcohol Prohibition? Do you also recall what happened afterwards? Here we are again with marijuana, which is less harmful than alcohol, by the way.

It all comes down to one question: should governments all around the world decriminalize the use of pot or not? Which directly leads to the first question: why punish drug users in first place? We know both points are not the cases. Moral thinking is one thing, the legal point of view is a completely different matter. We might think that the consequences of using weed are as bad as….everyone else think, or that a form of punishment is likely to deter its use. Legal basis? None: threats of punishments don’t deter drug use.

Do we punish smoking, drinking, eating garbage (which we do, a lot!): we don’t even punish companies producing that kind of stuff. The principle is exactly the same. Crimes we punish do serious harm to other people, while smoking pot only harm users themselves. Only in an extremely small minority they harm their families and we should be very cautious about generalizing.

Efforts to prevent its use cause a greater harm than whatever harms they would like to prevent. Imagine an adolescent going to prison just for that reason and his life later ruined forever. THIS is what parents fear, if you think about it, NOT a little bit of smoking weed. Since legal drugs should be less dangerous than illegal drugs.

Statistics and criminologists say that the deterrent effects of punishments for pot use are minimal. It’s certainly not up to me to contradict them. At most I could say I don’t believe them. Not to mention scientific consensus: life expectancy of people who have used it is identical to those who have not. Legal marijuana would also cost less than illegal one, so crime rates related to finance this habit should fall as well.

Decades of war against pot have produced zero accomplishments: it means something. On the contrary legalizing it would at least allow governments to get rid of all producers. We’re all in favor of a healthy lifestyle, but do you get punished if you don’t exercise?

Think properly and thoroughly about the basic question: is the principle of fighting the use of marijuana defensible or not, morally and legally?I already know what you’re thinking. Yes or no? It’s as simple as that. The direction appears to be in favour of a legalization. Gradually. Canada, America and Mexico are already changing some laws. “Changing” consequently the question: will you accept them or not?

Do you accept consumption of tobacco and alcohol? Then you should also know that marijuana is far less harmful and when it’s illegally sold help to fuel drug-related crimes. How many people already drink and smoke? Be honest to yourself: don’t you drink a couple of beers in a night out? I would be more afraid of granting a monopoly over the growing and sale of legal pot to a limited number of investors. Nobody would gain from that, although I’m afraid it’ll end up likewise.

Support for making weed legal is increasing around the world, provided the proper limits of quantity and legal age are in place. Instead of spending billions on imprisoning people for violating disputable laws, those money could / should be better spent for fighting against cultivation and distribution of real, truly dangerous drugs.

Laws on banning the growing and possession of marijuana have caused much, much more damage to society than the little harmful usage itself.

You should keep that crystal clear in mind before deciding where you stand.

….Always humble,

Angiolino